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IN THIS ISSUE

• Louise Kruithhof describes a visit to a monastery
• Pat Moore also visits an ancient Chinese site
• Tom Kyle claims he is now entitled to be called a senior citizen
• Shirley Conlon sends a story of a thoughtful older brother
• Pat forwards an essay on a subject we can all relate to
• Sites are suggested by Bill McNair, Bruce Galway, Catherine Nesbitt, Gerrit de Leeuw, Geoff Goodship, Pat Moore, Tom Telfer, and Zvonko Springer

Louise Kruithof writes about a fascinating visit while in

XINING, QINHAI, CHINA

On a recent Sunday, we were offered a car and driver and a volunteer interpreter to go to visit the Ta´Er Monastery, which is a 30-minute or so drive from Xining. We could not refuse the opportunity since this is one of the sites to visit when in Xining.

Early Sunday, we went downstairs and the young lady interpreter was waiting for us. It was raining cats and dogs outside and we were wearing raincoats and took along an umbrella; the young lady had only an umbrella. Raincoats are almost unknown here - the umbrellas reign supreme in case of rain or sunshine. One almost need to carry an umbrella to protect oneself from being attacked by the spokes on other people´s umbrellas.

The monastery has been on the same site for over 400 years, but has been rebuilt a number of times. Once the entrance fee has been paid, 100 yuans per person, you get into an inner court which has eight very colourful pagodas, worth the price of admission.

Past the pagodas, there are eight buildings to visit. Alas, four of them were closed due to repairs being done to them, but we got to see the most interesting ones.

One is quite a large building where the Buddha statue is located, with accompanying deities. They always ask that no photos be taken and we complied, as people generally do in the temples. This Buddha is a Tibetan Buddha, so it looks a bit different than the ones we have seen in other parts of China. This one is smiling more than the ones we have seen previously. They all look benevolent but quite often have strange creatures guarding the entrances. I liked this one: smiling, benevolent, and also well looked after.

Another building is for prayers, very large and decorated with luscious colours. Turquoise is the predominant colour and gives the whole interior a look of joy and happiness.

Another building was quite fascinating. I kept seeing signs about butter sculptures and could not imagine how one could make a sculpture of butter and expect it to last for more than a day. It was explained to us that they use yak butter and just plain sculpt it. And they do: this building had a refrigerated center core, and around the center core there are four sides approximately 10 meters long each, and inside are the famous butter sculptures. We were told that they are changed each year, new ones being made for February, and it takes 30 to 40 persons about 30 days to make each panel. Not only are they made of butter, they are also painted. Quite a feat, and quite a sight also. They are very well done and beautiful to look at with all the details and the colours. They alone are worth the visit.

After the visit, the day not being the best with all the rain, we went and had a nice dinner with our interpreter at a "hot pot" restaurant. Spicy is the word for the food around here. I like it but my husband does not like it quite so much, so hot pot is ideal because each diner has the choice of either mild or spicy sauces and broths to do the cooking with.

To be continued.

Coincidentally, Pat Moore also writes about visiting an antiquity in

CHINA

Grave Sweeping Day is a national holiday in many provinces of China, so after working six days a week we decided to take a few days off and go to Xian to visit the famous terracotta soldiers guarding the emperor´s tomb.

"Grave Sweeping" holiday is in honour of family members who have died and a time to visit the graves and make sure they have been well cared for.

Since it was a long weekend, we decided to take a few extra days while the project continued with some other visiting teachers. It was tempting to fly but we thought it was a great opportunity to travel by train. Our interpreter made the arrangements and we set off.

We had all traveled many times in Canada by train so when we were told we were traveling "first class", this was very reassuring.

Our first-class accommodations consisted of four bunk beds in one room.- two on each side. Each bed was approximately 27" wide by 5´10" long. Since Bob is 6´3", this was going to be a bit uncomfortable for him but okay for the rest of us. In front of the little window there was a small table set with a lovely tea set but no place to sit. We soon found that you could either sit on the bunk beds or on the special flip-down seats provided by the windows in the corridors leading from one end of the train to the caboose (I don´t know what they called them in China.)

The flip-down seats were usually always occupied as all the other rooms consisted of six to eight bunk beds in one room, and the travelers liked to sit on the seats by an open window for the fresh air.

The train was not an express train and it was very interesting to watch at every stop as other travelers rushed out to the platforms where vendors were waiting with hot food to add to their bowls of hot rice that the kitchen staff gave them as they got off the train. It was just a quick stop so a bit chaotic, but everyone seemed to get when they wanted. We had been told our meals were included so we went to the dining car. At lunch time we were served a very tasty meal of rice, noodles, and many vegetables.

After lunch I walked the length of the train, smiling and chatting with many of the men (never did see another woman on the train) as they sat playing cards or games, or just talking on the flip-up seats along the windows. When I got to the end of the train, I noticed several live chickens in a small pen on the platform, and some of the kitchen staff enjoying cigarettes. Chicken was the main course at dinner that night.

A car had been arranged to drive us to the site of the emperor´s tomb, which was truly breathtaking.

The site was discovered by a farmer who wanted to expand his farm and started to dig into the huge mound of grass-covered earth. They have only uncovered a portion of the site and anticipate working on it many more years. They have erected a huge building for weather protection and also to provide a gallery for tourists. The several museums nearby allow everyone a close-up look at the magnificent soldiers, horses, and chariots.

Xian - fascinating - particularly since the newest discoveries surrounding that area have uncovered a separate terracotta cultural army of dancers, musicians, etc., to keep the emperor company in his "new world". These are entirely separate from the soldiers and are all life-size too ... incredible

Also, scientific tests confirm that there are huge amounts of mercury around the site of the emperor´s tomb, so the legends of a map of the emperor´s China on the floor of his tomb in great detail, including lakes and rivers and using mercury to imitate shimmering water, are in fact true. The writings and legend also state that the emperor used precious gems from all over China placed in the ceiling of his tomb to create the stars.There is no way of confirming this part of the legend until they finally open his tomb - which they do not plan to do as they do not know what would happen if air is allowed in.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang, whose original name was Qin Zheng, was born a prince during the Warring States period in China´s history. He ascended the throne at 13, and by 21 had assumed full power. He aggressively conquered the feudal states and took control of the whole of China in 221 BC.

Qin proclaimed himself as Shi Huang Di, or "commencing emperor", bringing himself on par with the gods and announcing his divine right to rule China. He had edicts carved in a new Imperial script he developed on the walls of sacred mountains around China to declare its unification under his rule.

During his rule, Qin standardized weights and measures, the currency, and even the length of the axles of carts, which allowed every cart to run smoothly in the ruts of the extensive network of new roads he ordered built to connect his provinces.

Qin commissioned the construction of his tomb, the famous mausoleum in Xian, filled with terracotta soldiers, when he was still young.

To be continued.

ED. NOTE: For some of Pat´s pictures of the tomb, go to http:// members.shaw.ca/vjjsansum/ or http://nw-seniors.org/stories.html

Tom Kyle claims that

YES, I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I´m the life of the party ... even if it does last until 8 o´clock.

I´m usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going.

I´m awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I´m smiling all the time because I can´t hear a thing you´re saying.

I´m very good at telling stories; over and over and over and over....

I´m so well cared for -

long term care,
eye care,
private care,
dental care.

I´m not really grouchy - I just don´t like:

traffic,
waiting,
crowds,
loud music,
noisy kids,
barking dogs,
and a few other things I can´t remember.

I´m sure everything I can´t find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I´m wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that´s just my left leg.

I´m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

I´m sure they are making adults much younger these days, and when did
they let kids become policemen?

Actually, I´m a walking storeroom of facts ... I´ve just lost the key
to the storeroom door.

T...something

ED. NOTE: Sorry, Tom - I don´t buy it. You´re not old enough to be able to claim all the attributes of extreme old age. It would be more believable if I had written it, but then I would not admit it. ;)

Shirley Conlon sends this enlightening story:

HE´S MY BROTHER!

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons, and proceeded to the checkout counter.

The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?"

"Eight," the boy replied.

The man continued, "Do you know what these are used for?"

The boy replied, "Not exactly, but they aren´t for me. They´re for him. He´s my brother. He´s four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can´t do either."

Pat Moore´s friend Deb sent this essay about being

ELECTRONICALLY CHALLENGED

Things are spiraling out of control. I think I have become lost in a world of electronic madness.

One of my sons informed me this week that my cell phone has become obsolete and I must head down to the cell phone store and get a phone that is contemporary with the time.

I pointed out that the fancy razor/slim-line phone with camera built in that he made me trade my perfectly good flip-top Motorola cell phone for two years ago still works perfectly fine. Well, except for the camera thing. Never could figure that out. Even the few times I actually did take pictures I couldn´t figure what to do with them and gave up.

That is except when I would push the wrong button and take a video of the ceiling or my feet.

Seems the issue is that I am unable to text with the tiny little three-character buttons. "Hi, son," would come out looking like, "Gh Qmo." My grandkids have even spoken to my wife about Poppa´s crazy text messages. Give me a break. Whatever happened to actually talking on a phone? Isn´t that what they were invented for?

They want me to get one of those phones that you can turn upside down and sideways and has a typewriter keyboard with keys about one-eighth the size of my pinky finger.

One of my four sons is a realtor whose real occupation is fly fishing. "Way to go, son." Or in my text language, "Xbz um Io, rmo."

We were floating down the Yakima River in his guide-quality drift boat south of Ellensburg, Washington. We were miles from anything remotely resembling civilization. Rock canyon walls were on either side of us. Bear with me as I try to explain this strange thing.

His "Blackberry" rang. It was blue and I asked him why it wasn´t called a Blueberry. He shook his head with that "dealing with an elder" despair look I get a lot these days. It was another realtor who called to say that the sellers he represented had agreed to my son´s client´s changes and he had the signed documents in hand.

My son told him to fax the papers to his office and he would get them signed and faxed back to close the deal that morning. A minute later the phone rang and he hit a few buttons and looked over the fax, now on the Yakima River with us.

He then called his clients and told them he was faxing the papers to them to sign and asked them to fax them back to his office. While he was waiting, he hooked into a fat rainbow trout and was just releasing this 22-inch beauty as his phone rang again with the signed fax from his clients. He called the other realtor and told him he was sending the signed papers back by fax. The deal was closed. He smiled and just said, "You are a little behind the times, Dad." I guess I am.

I thought about the sixty million dollar a year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures, and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses,13 grandkids and two great-grandkids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Bluetooth [it´s red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife as everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it and got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dashboard, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-ul- ating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then when I would make a right turn instead, it was not good.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for eight years, but I still haven´t figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves, but this sudden, "Paper or plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

I bought some of those cloth re-usable bags to avoid looking confused but never remember to take them in with me. Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or plastic?" I just say, "Doesn´t matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it´s their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

Bill McNair and Tom Telfer both suggest this phone service offered free by Google. Put the number into your cell phone, and when you need information (telephone number, address, etc), simply call 1-800- goog411 (1-800-466-4411), state the city and province/state and what you are looking for, and goog411 connects you directly. Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration.

http://www.google.com/goog411

Bruce Galway forwards the URL for a collection of photographs taken by astronauts aboard the orbiting International Space Station over the past few months: http://arunaurl.com/3547

Catherine Nesbitt sends this timely URL for a video of a Chinese orchestra performing Radetzky´s March Op. 228: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M13e1M76SqM&NR=1

Geoff Goodship suggests you check out this amazing clock:

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Pat Moore and Gerrit de Leeuw both forward the URL for an example of photo technology at its best: Place your cursor at the top of this photo of Hong Kong. You will notice it is 6:10 p.m. Bring the mouse down slowly over the photo without pressing the button on the mouse, and do not right or left click. Night time appears, the lights come on, and at 7:40, it´s dark!

http://61226.com/share/hk.swf

And finally, if you have some spare time, watch this fascinating video presentation of the history of the earth from the beginning, sent to us by Zvonko Springer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU